Step-up gearing



June 14, 1949. R. E. BURRUS -sTEP-UP GEARING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1945 June 14, 1949.

R. E. BURRUs STEP-UP GEARING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1945 Patented June 14, 1949 STEP-UP GEARING Robert E. Burrus, Buchanan, Mich., assigner to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 25, 1945, Serial No. 595,781

6 Claims.

This invention relates to step-up gearing, and more particularly is concerned with the provision of step-up gearing for use in connection with test Work involving dynamometers and the like where various gear ratios may be desired between the input dynamometer, the unit being tested, and the absorption dynamometer.

The present invention concerns itself particularly with a gear box of the double planetary type having means forv selectively providing direct drive therethrough or through either one or both planetary sets of gearing interposed in the drive between the input shaft and the output shaft.

One of the features of the present invention is to provide a construction of this type which is simple in operation and in which the selection of the various speed ratios can be readily made Within the device itself.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction of this type in which the entire housing containing the gearing is Water cooled to insure proper operation of the mechanism under high torque loads without excessive overheating of the bearings or the like.

vStill another object is to provide a construction of this type in which lubrication of all the bearings, gears, sliding clutches, and other rolling parts is accomplished from a single source of lubricant supply carried Within the housing and arranged for distribution from a common point.

The unit is designed so thatI it can be driven in either direction of rotation, and it can also be reversely driven to provide reduction gearing instead of step-up gearing. Also, none oi the gears rotate in the unit except when power is transmitted therethrough.

Other objects and advantages, such as the provision of a construction which is compact in size and can be readily mounted in position, wi11 be more apparent from the following detail description which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred form of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a gear box embodying the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional View, taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure l, illustrating in detail the housing construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is provided an input shaft 5 which has a splined end adapted to receive the companion flange i5 of a coupling for connecting it to a driving source. The flange 6 is retained in position. by the usual 2 lock nut 1 carried on the reduced threaded end of the shaft 5. The shaft 5 is supported for rotation within a bearing portion 8 of one end plate S of the housing by means of ball bearing assemblies It! and i 2, these bearing assemblies being spaced apart by an inner spacer member i3 which is rotatable with the shaft and which includes an outer bushing member l5 keyed by dowel M against rotation and secured about the member i3 by means of the end Washer l5 and screw il. The bushing member l5 is provided with an external annular groove I3 communicating through the radial port I9 with an inner annular groove-20 formed in the spacer I3 and in turn communicating through radial ports 2| formed in the shaft 5 with the axial bore 22 formed in this shaft. The annular groove i3 in turn communicates with the passageway 23 leading into an oi1 reservoir 24 adapted to be filled with oil through the inlet opening 25, this being formed in a cored out portion of the end plate 9 of the housing for the gearing. A suitable passageway 25 formed in a portion `of the end plate 9 communicates with the transverse pasageway 21 forming the center portion of the housing for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The inner end of the shaft is provided with an enlarged portion 29 having external teeth. 32. Mounted about this enlarged portion is a clutch sleeve member 33 having a yoke collar 3d adapted to receive the shifter yoke 35 carried by transverse shaft 33 journaled in suitable bosses 37 formed in the end plate and controlled by the shift lever 38 externally of the housing. Shifting of the lever 38 rotates the shaft 36 and because of the keyed connection of this shaft with the shifter yoke 35, operates to effect axial shifting of the sleeve 33. The sleeve 33 carries at its inner end the external clutch teeth 39 and when shifted axially to the right as viewed in Figure l, is adapted to have meshing engagement with the internal clutch teeth 4D of a member 42 bolted or otherwise secured as by studs 43 to the planetary gear spider member 44 and internal clutch teeth 45 of clutch sleeve 33 mesh with external teeth 32 of shaft 5. When in the position shown in Figure I, the sleeve 33 is coupled by means of the intermediate internal teeth thereof to the enlarged portion of shaft 5 and provides a direct `coupling through its internal teeth 45 to the flanged portion 41 ofy a shaft member 43. -The shaft member 48 outwardly of the flange portion 41 is provided with a reduced portion 49 journalled as by means of roller bearings 5i) within the recessed end of shaft 5. This provides a direct clutching connection when the sleeve is in the position shown in Figure 1 between the shaft 5 and the shaft 48. The shaft 48 at its opposite end is provided with a reduced splined portion 52 receiving the hub portion 53 of a coupling member adapted to couple this shaft to the absorptionfdynamometer. The hub `53 isheld in position by means of a suitable lock nut or the like. Thus, a direct driving connection between the shaft 5 and the output shaft 48 is provided" when the clutch sleeve is in the position shown,

The planetary spider 44 is journalled upon the shaft 48 by means of .the ball' bearing assembly 54, the axially spaced bearing assembly 55,- vandthe bearing assembly 54B. The spider 44 consists of two pieces bolted together as by means of the thru bolts 51, the plate member 58 of this spider being journalled on the bearing assembly 56 which in turn is journalled on the sun gear sleeve portion 59. The pinion carrier or spider 44- is provided aroundV its periphery with three pinion gears 68, each of these gears being mounted through roller bearings| 62 upon a shaft 463 having reduced ends carried in suitable boss portions of the spider members 44 and 58, the shaft being keyed as at AE4'algainst rotation. The three pinions 881 have external gear teeth adapted to mesh with the internal teeth of' ring gear 65 which isl secured in position against the internal' radial flange 186 of the housing 28 by means of the boltsv 81. Thepinion gears-68 also are in constant meshing engagement with the gear teeth 68 ofthe sun gear sleeve 59 whereby when the clutch sleeve 33 is shifted into engagement with teeth 48, the pinion spider isv rotated and the pinion gears consequentlydrive thesunxgear 59 at a higher speed. It will be noted' that: the sun gear= is supported'for rotation by` the bearing'assembly` 55 andwat its opposite end szjournalle'd on the shaft 48 by means of the roller bearing assemblyGS. At this end of the sleeve 59,the sleeve is axially extended to overly the splined` portion 18 of vshaft 48 and is provided with internal' teeth 12 adapted to be engaged'by the" clutch teeth 13'of a second sliding'clutch sleeve 14 mounted on the splined portion 1U of shaft 48. When the sleeve `14 is shifted to the left 'from the position shown in Figure 1, the teeth 13 and 12 are moved into meshing'lengagement and'consequently the sun gear 59' then drives lthe shaft 48l through the splinedconnection of sleeve 18, thereby driving the output shaft at a speed determined by the ratito of the pinion gears, sun gear and ring gear 65. Shifting of the sleeve 14 is provided by means of? the shifter yoke 15 extending outwardly through an opening 16 in the end plate 18 of housing 28, a suitable shift lever '19' being mounted for rotation on the bracket 88 and controlling the operation ofthe shifter yoke 15 which engages in the shift collar 82 of the sleeve 14 through-'sliding'pads |28.

'It' will be noted that the sun gear sleeve 59' is provided intermediate its ends with the external splines v82 upon which is mounted a "sliding clutch sleeve'l83'having the clutch collar' 84r engaged' by the shifter fork 85 which in Vturn is mounted upon shaft 88 for shifting movement. The clutch sleever 83 is alsov provided with external' clutch teeth 81' adapted, when the sleeve is shifted to' the right.' from the4 positionshown in'Eigure'l, to mesh with the internal'clutch teeth 88. of the ringH member 89 secured'to the side' of'the" planet spider 98'. The spider 98 is within the planet spider.

`"than the spider 44 through the first planetary reduction, and in turn is adapted to drive the sun gear member 96 through pinion members 68 corresponding tothe members 88 of the first planetarysstep-up mounted in the same manner The pinion mein-bers 58.- have` meshing. engagement with the internal teeth of ring gear 91 secured by bolts 98 to the'ange 99 of housing 28, and at their inner periphery engage the gear teeth |88 of the sun gear 96t for driving this sun gear. The sun gear 96 is. rotatably supportedrelative the sun gear 59' and shaft 48'by: meansof the roller bearing assembly |82v and the bearing assembly 95. In ternal clutch teeth |03I on the sun gear member StareV adapted to be. engaged by the clutch teeth 13 of clutch sleeve 1,4when.this1sleeve is shifted toV the right from the neutral position shown in Figure 1, whereby the sun gear 98 drives the shaft` 48 atav very much increased rate of speed, thus `providing forv a double planetary step-up in speedY from the drive shaft 5 to the output shaft48;

The output shaft 48' is journalledA intermediate thev splined portions 52 and 18 upon the bearing assembly |84 which,l in turn, is held in position by. vretaining flange in the nose portion of the end plate 18 and by a suitable seal assemblyindicated generally at |85.

Considering -now the. lubrication of the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, it has been previously stated that lubricant is introduced through the'v opening 25 into the lubricant reservoir 24. Preferably this lubricant is introduced under sufficient pressure to force' it up through passageway 28 into ythelongitudina1 passageway 21 at the .upper :portion of housing 28. From the .passageway 21 lubricant passes through openings |81`- into an angular groove |88 surrounding th-e periphery of the ring gears B5 and 91. AtV substantially spaced points the ring gears-65 and 91 are provided with radial ports |89 shown in Figurel whereby this oil under pressure `isforced inwardly tothe internal gear teeth of the ringgear, whence the oil is picked up by the pinion gears 68 and in turn transferred through' these'gears to the sun gears 88 and |88. Thisprovides for: adequate lubrication of the gear members themselves.

Lubricant is also forced from the reservoir or chamber'24 through-passageway 23 and annular groove I8A into ports 2| leading to the central axial bore 22of the shaft 5. A certain portion of this lubricant passes outwardly through the longitudinal ports ||8 and past the relatively movablesurfaces'of members I3 and I5 to lubricate A bearings |8 and I2. Excess lubricant from bearing` lfis conducted throughthecored passageway |'|2 out into the interior of the gear. housing from whence itis removed through the sump |'|'3-1ocated'at'the bottom of the housing. An additionalportion of this lubricant which is transmittedinto the, passageway 22 is transmitted therefrom through the sleeve ||4 xed in thisipassagewayY` and centering in a corresponding passageway I5 in shaft 48 into an internal axial passage in shaft 48. A certain portion ofl the leakage of this lubricant passes out through the opening I I E between the reduced end 49 of shaft 48 and the recessed end of shaft 5 to lubricate bearings 5|), and after passing through the bearings 50 is transmitted radially by centrifugal force to lubricate the internal teeth of sliding clutch 33. A radial passageway is also provided from the axial passageway ||5 in shaft 48 to the spacer member between bearings 54 and 55 from which oil lubricates bearings 54 through radial ports in sleeve I I'I. Bearing 55 is lubricated through the radial port ||8 and after passing through bearing 55, this oil is centrifugally collected along the surface ||9 of spider member 44, thence passing radially through the opening |20 and through the axial passage |22 in the shaft member 63 and radial ports therein for lubricating the roller bearing 62. The sun gear sleeve 59 is also provided with a radial port |23 for lubricating the sun gear teeth and also providing for lubrication of bearing 56.

Additional radial ports in shaft 48, communieating with the center feed port H5, indicated at |24 supply lubricant to the interior of the sun gear sleeve, and also to the roller bearing assembly 69 and to the internal teeth I2 of the sun gear sleeve. It will be noted that additional ports are directed radially through the overhanging end of the sun gear sleeve to provide for lubrication of bearings |02 and of the sun gear teeth of sun gear 95. A certain portion of this lubricant also passes along the surface |25 of spider member 90 and through passageway |26 for lubricating the roller bearings of the second series of planet gears 60 carried by thespider member 98. Bearings 95 and 9'I are lubricated through the sun gear member 96. lubricant being forced axially at the points of meshing engagement of tle pinion gears 60 with the sun gear |80 to direct oil to the bearings 95 and 91'.

The passageway I I5 is reduced throughout the splined portion 'I0 of shaft 48, as indicated at |27, with a suitable radial port |29 which lubricates the bearing assembly |84. It will thus be seen that all of the bearings, sliding clutch parts, and gears of the assembly are adequately lubricated from a single pressure lubricant source.

Considering Figure 2 in detail, it will be noted that the housing member 28 is cored out to provide a plurality of interconnected Water chambers I 38 which are connected through suitable inlet and outlet connections (not shown) so that water is circulated throughout the entire annular surface of the housing 28 to provide for proper cooling thereof. Two inspection or hand openings are provided in this housing at |32, each of which is covered by a suitable cover plate |33 to provide for inspection of the gear assembly and for certain assembly operations in constructing the mechanism. The end plates 9 and 'I8 are secured to opposite ends of the annular housing 28 by means of suitable studs or thru bolts indicated at |34 in Figure 1.

The housing 28 is also provided at opposite sides thereof with boss portions |35 and |36, respectively, which are bored to receive suitable bushings |31 and |38 for rotatably securing the operating shaft 88 therein whchextends transversely therebetween, and is connected at its outer end with a shift lever member |48 which, when rotated, operates to rotate the shaft 86.

Keyed to the shaft 86 intermediate its ends is the shifter fork member 85, this keyed connec- 6 tion providing for oscillation ofthe shifter fork upon rotation of the shift lever |48.

Carried by the bushing |38 is a bracket member |42 having spaced detents |43 formed therein adapted to be engaged by the ball member |44 carried in the shift lever 48, whereby its shifted position may be determined as it is shifted from neutral to clutch engaging position.

Each of the shift levers 38 and i9 is similarly arranged for operation with suitable locking type detent means to determine its neutral and shifted position, the shaft 35 of lever 38 extending transversely across end plate 9, While the shaft for shift lever I9 is journalled within the bracket 88 mounted on top of the opening 16.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that the passageways |38 for conduction of iiuid coolant around the housing 23 are staggered and divided by partition members |4lI so that the water introduced adjacent the top of the housing at one side of the passageway 2l circulates back and forth axially of the housing as it moves circumferentially therearound until it finally reaches the outlet opening located on the opposite side of the passageway 21 adjacent the top of the housing. This provides for full contact of the coolant With the walls of the housing to insure rapid heat dissipation therethrough.

It is, therefore, believed apparent that I have provided a novel assembly of step-up gearing, whereby a direct drive may be produced through the gearing, a first planetary step-up ratio may be provided by shifting of clutch member 33 to the right and shifting of clutch member 'I4 to the left. This provides for drive from shaft 5 through planetary spider 44 to sun gear 68, and thence through sun gear sleeve 59 and clutch 'I4 to shaft 48. When it is desired to use both planetary step-ups, clutch member 33 is shifted to the right, clutch member 83 is shifted to the right, and clutch member 'i4 is shifted to the right. In this position, the drive is from shaft 5 to the first planetary step-up into sun gear 59, and from this sun gear to the second planetary step-up to clutch member 83 and from this planetary step-up to sun gear 96. From sun gear 96 the drive is transmitted to shaft 48 through the clutch member 74.

In direct drive, clutch members 83 and 'I4 are shifted to neutral position and clutch member 33 is shifted to the position shown in Figure l.

While I am aware that various changes may be made in certain details of the assembly herein shown, I do not intended to be limited to the exact details herein shown and described, but only insofar as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In step-up gearing, a power input shaft, a power output shaft, a pair of axially spaced sun gears rotatably mounted about said output shaft and having axially spaced internal clutch teeth radially encircling said output shaft, a rst planetary gear mechanism for one of said sun gears, a second planetary gear mechanism for the other of said sun gears, clutch means for directly coupling said shafts together or for coupling said input shaft to said rst planetary mechanism, secondary clutch means on said output shaft for optionally coupling either of said sun gears thereto, and means operable to clutch the sun gear associated with said rst planetary mechanism to said second planetary mechanism.

2. In combination, an input shaft, an axially alined output shaft, a pair of axially spaced plan- 7: etary gearf mechanisms each including; sun; .gears rotatably mounted. about. said output shaft,. olutch means for. coupling said input'shaftzeither directly` to-said; output shaft or to one of. said planetary gear mechanisms, clutch means onA said output shaft for optionally clutching eitheri of said sunl gears thereto, and means operableA to clutch the sun gear of said one planetarygearmechanism to the otherk planetary gear mechanism.

3.,In.a step-up gearhousing of generally annularshapd, a pair of axially spaced internal ring gears secured in said housing, planetary pinions Vandspiders i associated' therewith, an input. shaft extending axially into one-side of said housing, an output shaft extending axially out of` the: other side of said housing and journalled at its'inner end in' said input shaft, sun gears for each of 1 said'planetary .gear mechanisms disposed in vaxially spaced relation and rotatable about said shaft, clutch means associated Withieach of saldf shafts, one of said'. clutch means beingoperative for selectively effecting direct. drivebetvveenl said-shaftsor drive through one ofisaid plane-- tary-mechanisms,v and' the otherof saidf clutch means being operative` for selectively coupling said output. shaft toeither of said'sunigears.

4.. In planetary step-up gearing including an annular housing having axiallyspaced fixed internaltring-gears therein, a seriesiof planetary pinonsmeshing Witheach of said ring. gears, planet.l spiders for each series of pinions, va sun geardriverrbyeachI series of pinions,. an output shaft extendingswithin said'sun gears androtatable independently thereofa.coaxial input shaft havingY means for selectively clutchingy it tov said output shaft. or to onel of said planet` spiders, clutch means operable from an inoperativeposition toa position tov clutch the sun gear 'associated witln said one planet spider to the other planet spider, and sliding'clutch means` on said output shaft operable. in either. directionfrom. a neutral position to selectively clutch.v either of said sun gears to said output shaft.

5.. In combination, an input shaft, having a clutch tooth portion, a coaxialoutput-shaft journalled. at oneA end-:insaidinput shaft and' having an: adjacent clutch tooth portion; a. sliding clutch sleeve operable in one position to engage both; clutch tooth portions to couple saidshafts for direct drive, a planetarygear mechanism aboutsaidoutput shaft, the planet. spider thereof i having a. clutch tooth portion, means for shifting said clutchsleeveaxially to. a positioncouplingsaid inputshaft tosaidspiderand releasing-said output'- shaft, a. second planetary gear mechanism about said output shaft, a sun gear in said firstv mechanism journalled on said output shaft and having anaxial extension through said second-mechanism, clutch means on said output shaftfor coupling said sun gear to said shaft, clutchmeans on said sun gear intermediate said mechanisms for clutching said sun gear to the planet spider of said second mechanism, and a sun gear for said second mechanism journalled on the extension of said first sun gear, said output shaft clutch means being selectively operable to releaseV said first sun gear and to clutch said secondrsun gear tosaid output shaft.

6. Incombination, a shaft, a pair of axially spaced planetary gear mechanisms rotatable about4 said shaft, means for driving one of said gear mechanisms, a sun gear. in said mechanism having an axial extension through the second mechanism and including an-external clutch tooth portion intermediate said mechanisms and an internal` clutch tooth portion at the end of said extension, a sun gear in the second mechanism journalled about the rst sun gear extension and having an internal clutch tooth portion spaced axially from that of. said rst sun gear, a sliding clutch sleeve splined on said shaft having a clutch portion selectively shiftable into engagement with the clutch vtooth portions of said sun gears, and means on said external portionof said rst sun gear for clutching it to the planet spider of. said second mechanism.

ROBERT E. BURRUS.

REFERENCES CITEDv The following references are file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS of record: in the 

